The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-10-19
HAMPTON AG BENT0NNjLl-E.
r,:r cucAr ca!:3E.NiaI s:Es"h
JOHNSTON vit:>SG DEsCI;i':"7iGS.

Hacfcd-.saIaI>tCs :s:.Ii isu:ls" i-;'1i i:.c''
staff. ,:e I;.,; 70 cTcss .i:e
8arker's Ier<.iS.n.
To the Editor c: The News ana to:'siec
The article written py Gen>ra! ss;is1pS21
on BentonSiil9 is ano:iec ii'as;s.ti"c o!
that modesty which la:s 50 n:'.cb en'
deared lin to iis people. 1he I@4tGS!
has not give2 al tt. f@css II 1S&t:i" -
that critical nom abe.a tie &cioy q
General J. Z. Johnston wS.S ;aagtr..e2
by tue advance oI G'eneZA! lowe:
division on tie extreme ,e,r Of SIC Goa
federate position. lie has nc. stated
fully the part he bore in the re:'ris" OF
that most se.;orz attack. Il IS due e
him and to tla tru;'l CT Mst 'sy ta@,
those VINO were present shoa'd r>eoT''
their testimony as TO tie f;.e+@ Hs'o7s
they become sileot focaver. ''',onor 70
whom honor is due
On the third day oI the battle aei'of:;i
Johnstoas army vas ainost surTou1;;e3
By tie legions Of Sherman. Ihe Coz
fe6erase lines extended il tie fora OF &
horses shoe sronnd Beascnroie, tie
base being :. baggy creek OK rua, c''!iei'
Mil Creek, over vi!ict there VS. bat
one br!2ga. and :hat cas ne3r 70 t.ie
village. Inc columns Of Grn@r;.: S!-er-
msn we're conrerSiaS around TIC r:sHI
and centre OF Gelerai Johnston :; "olks
which were r&ther GRADE and cons tractco
hastdY. On our extreme left, I.>ar 1t,
village Of Ee2tonvjl.e, TIE llne Was :i>!d
by skeleton regiments of d:>44oEltea
cavalry, apG your correspondent, then
IN command oi the iG:h George rsSi-
ment Of Icupgs bG:s,.ie, Hns'sE.s q
vision, w,la rs4r the eIic@l.e ecii o: ti!e
works. Yopng': brigade ~as tl'..ii c2:=l
usanded By Colonel Wr;2 bt, oi ::,e CyJ,
legion, which command, w!tn t4e 1eh
Davis Ieficn, tue pn;.iipS lsolo-: ::n4 tiie
1osh Georgia, constituted Iyn"Gs
bc:saGe.
yTnea tie head Ct Movers e;v;s;op
ma &c It's Appearance, covered i1J : .c:2"-;
OF akirmishers, there ~&S 40 il.:2 - '1-
sist i IN on: works. It Sc -: t-e
line, md was il2v;Ig towards =, jc-;; Y
over I;ll Cre&s., t,us :isro"lII.; ltss..t
e.;c.c:'r upon The lac oS Gs24sr.:- joDr
Sol: 5 retreat aad his only va; vt, D@-
..et!sa It wcall not have be,2 nls,5a!P
~ GeEcr:ll Johnston - have }":',.. IS
way cut ut thai l&1e Oats Jlr..sh t&c
fasl closing lines % L;=aera: i'';.'i n Il )
ar.cy. General izs.aa5oa. w sc~G'
ana co1r;crs on:r, !rcoght iE;o act:oG
q BAKERY of acSillerv which v 'ie.t
Bentonvlile vislsce and orGvres, Goioae!
Wr:gh+ to attack The flank 0; lowe
colu1aa with lis Gisr9o,:-:tad Ec-. re
order w@s prou:p:iy chsye3, a1G 1ae.eo
ensued, N which the c1mnaoGs got n
termixed and engaged almost t'.ao-to-
hand IN severe st-ag&je. aa.!~,., i.e':
il every direction, AID iao c2icsS q t4e
l0sh Georgia were Slot dow. t.'lce Ii
ten minutes. 1t has always been a
wonder 20 your correspondent low
General Hampton escaped or tu:,t cay.
Whilst these troops were body Engaged
Gs.er..l Ea-2ce's co;ur1n cane - sight
and charged with the Rebel y"ii. Gi:is
mt stop to the advance u general
Mower, and il & few Eomenss .i2S wncie
column was IN full retreat and car lines
re established.
Tue make d truth IS that but for G2n-
ersl Hamptoo's prompt action, ,5i:h IL
adequate lneans, SIS i @as, tho caarge
made by General Mover 0ivisioG would
have resulted IN the occupation; Ct Ben
tonviLe by the Federal troops, and 70
dislodge them won]d have required more
force than Genera! Bardee had, tsis s4.:lt
command being all taat was N reserve.
Any COZ dict OF g se-ious nature IL the
rear of Genera! Johnston works Woi;tt
have have demolished his troops, already
sore-pressed s1G under a heavy Ire,
both OF small arms and artillery. II
follows that although General iias>lce
did drive back General Mower civ sion,
i would have been impossible, had II
not have been checked by General
Hampton, with his dismouHted cavalry
and his scouts and couEiers. Henel&i
Sherman may say that be Oidereo Mover
back, but that coiann VAS forced DGck,
and did not vat for orders. The ground
where the contest took place was Uttered
with dca6 and wounded OF both sides.
Had not General Hampton attacked
the advancing column Of General Mover
il would have had time to correc: It's
alignment an,; cover the eartEwo9ils,
which they had passed, with shatp-
shooters and artillery, so that Gen "a
Hardec would have found il a difficult
task to dislodge him. It was the sad
denness OF the attack and the i;.ct ti.;tt
i. rSs made from botn fianks st c:.ox
which checked the advancing troups
Just after the hne was reformed ann S4e
works reoccupied tie matter Was taxed
Of by the officers present, AID i 1'a>
then the general opinion That Hampton,
and not ery0ne else, had saved ms ;,.u:y
from being taken II reverse and Gon".@d
I'd q, itself. Il i true th&. Tie i-:,ai
disaster soor followed, bi,s Lad lie CJa-
federates st B-2tonviile been coa'ael:eG
to tight tueic w&s out tie iocS oi 4,c
rnast have Deu1 very great, a2u posse;
uaavai:ing ct Ias;.
G.. Tie retreat u stand Mas made =
Smntayl,ie. Your correspondent W. ae-
tailed to prepare toe core-ed h2ils.. It
tts.t point for destruction. The .G.:.4a.,.,
:...d almost al The artillery passed e, :
f.s+. whist t2e cav~ir,y MS Iul'j:.r> .5'e
w4 Fitzpatrick, With ;1:u1lt-G 80
.:lr..s, md several light batteries, iras :,
.:wA1G with s4nsrine iopes of ue: =,
~. .le Confed7E<.tes, rlo We're or >:-e
:, J